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Yale football helmet goes retro: “Y” no longer outlined

WASHINGTON, D.C. — After changing to an outlined Y in the 1990s, Yale football helmets are now adorned with the traditional block Y sans outline. That is sophomore nose guard Jeff Schmittgens pictured. From a pregame release:

RETRO
The Yale helmets have a slight “retro” look this fall with a change in the “Y” on the sides. Instead of having the “Y” outlined with a white line and then an outer blue edge, a thinner blue “Y” now stands alone, showcasing the look from the late 1960s through the 1980s.

Yale used that look for all but the last year of Carm Cozza’s career. I never understood why they changed it. The rest of the uniform remains the same as last year with contrasting trim on the collar block numbers on the front, back and shoulders, two stripes on the helmet and pants and the bulldog profile Y logo on the sleeves. They do need to go back to black shoes though.

The Yurasko “Y” which was influenced by the Yale Y (my father graduated from there) remains unchanged.

When I was 9 years old, we visited our former neighbors in their new Michigan home for Thanksgiving. According to Bruce Campbell, we didn’t celebrate the right way.

Later that weekend, we piled into the back of a Chevy station wagon (diesel even) and drove through Detroit to Windsor, Ont. just to say we went to Canada, I guess. We had McDonald’s and since it was warm, the back window was rolled down. J.J. shot spitballs onto the Canadian street. Then we got stuck in traffic crossing the Ambassador Bridge and I half-ate a Snickers.